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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22935955">sticks and stones (break bone)</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/BumbleBeetle/pseuds/BumbleBeetle'>BumbleBeetle</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Dominion (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alcohol, Alternate Universe - Assassins &amp; Hitmen, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Assassination, Assassination Attempt(s), Auctions, Blood and Violence, Boats and Ships, Car Chases, Corporate Espionage, Crimes &amp; Criminals, Cybercrimes, Death, Domestic Violence, Drug Use, Drugs, Espionage, Everyone Has Issues, F/M, Gun Violence, Hacking, Implied Sexual Content, Interrogation, Italian Mafia, Kidnapping, Killing, Motorcycles, Multi, Murder, Organized Crime, Other, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Partying, Past Domestic Violence, Poisoning, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Psychological Trauma, Recreational Drug Use, Russian Mafia, Scuba Diving, Sexual Content, Sexual Humor, Smoking, Spelunking, Strippers &amp; Strip Clubs, Trauma, Undercover Missions, Unhealthy Coping Mechanisms, Unhealthy Relationships, Unresolved Sexual Tension, Yakuza</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-02-28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-02-28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 08:07:09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,699</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22935955</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/BumbleBeetle/pseuds/BumbleBeetle</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>The Five/The Horsemen (Michael, Gabriel, Lucifer, Uriel, and Raphael) have spearheaded  criminal operations by eliminating competition. Best of the best, kill or be killed and all that. Megacorporations seized in their hands, to street gangs left terrified - all hidden in the eyes of the public. </p><p>Akhos, aka Gabriel, sets out to right wrongs done to his former partner by an abusive ex. Unbeknowst to him, this sets off a chain reaction that shakes their syndicate to the core.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Gabriel (Dominion &amp; Legion)/Original Female Character, Michael (Dominion &amp; Legion)/Original Female Character(s)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>sticks and stones (break bone)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>in this au, michael (adam) is the flashy, flirty, partyboy with a penchant for knives. </p><p>gabriel (achilles/akhos) is the no-nonsense, ex-military heavy-hitter with a twisted sense of justice. </p><p>uriel (selena) is the queen of silent finesse and fanciful murder - partial to poisonings and blackmail.</p><p>lucifer (ryland) is the dashing diver and thief who'll con you outta cash with a wink and a wave. </p><p>and raphael (mei) is the woman with a dozen digital faces and networks spanning the globe.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Akhos?" No answer.</p><p>"Akhos." The winds from the mediterranean had turned cold, chilling Charlotte to the bone. A storm was approaching, she could feel it. Poor ventilation let a breeze into the building; a dingy, dilapidated thing.</p><p>"Akhos fucking Laos, would you answer me already? I know you're in there!" Charlotte's fist curled around her phone, a shiver rippling down her spine.</p><p>There was a moment of silence, then came a mumbled, groggy curse as the speaker's own was lifted. Static crackled. A gruff tenor filtered through, ending in a yawn. "Char, it's too damn early."</p><p>"But A, just-"</p><p>"No. Not this again. You're not my partner anymore." He cut her off, the beginnings of a scowl worming their way onto shadowed features. "Aren't you supposed to be working?"</p><p>She grinned on her end, reply full of thinly-veiled snark. "Aren't you supposed to be answering the door, <em>Gabriel</em>? Refusing a guest is rather impolite."</p><p>
  <em>Goddamn it. </em>
</p><p>With a groan he rose from the bed, clad in jeans and a ratty t-shirt. The apartment he'd bought out in greece was small, no luxuries like television or radio. Running a hand through shortened thatches of dark hair, he paused to check the keyhole - one hand lax on the knob.</p><p>True to what she'd said, the brunette was standing in the hallway. He turned his head away, eyes falling closed for a mere second, brief memories resurfacing. </p><p>
  <em>Warmth of skin on skin, the heady scent of whiskey and gunpowder, flickering shadow and twisted sheets, his name spilling from cherry-red lips in blissful ecstasy. </em>
</p><p>Steeling himself, he banished it deep. The door swung open with an influx of cool air. The dim bulb above framed Charlotte's face in a halo of golden light, backpack slung across one slim shoulder.</p><p>"Going to make me stand out here all night?" She teased, and he answered with a grunt.</p><p>"Considered it. What, did Josef revoke your privileges?"</p><p>"No," she says, sidestepping around him. <em>Damn the lack of maneuverable space. And damn his tiny entryway.</em> "I settled on going lone wolf for a while."</p><p>"Both." Charlotte hardly glanced back when answering. Shrugging off her pack, it landed with a muffled thump beside the bed. He arched a brow, arms folding over his chest. </p><p>"Care to elaborate?"</p><p>"Shadow's haunting me again. He caught me in a pretty bad spot. He wasn't deterred by the metal I flashed at him."</p><p>Akhos' scowl deepened, a dark look passing over his features. <em>Shadow was code for an especially obsessive ex from a few years back.</em> "You went lone wolf because you thought it'd protect you. Become anonymous. I take it didn't work." </p><p>"No. It-it didn't." She finally admitted with a sigh, rubbing her nape beneath waves of dark curls.</p><p>He took stock of her reaction before striding to a kitchenette. Withdrawing two black-label beers from the fridge, he tossed one to her. It was caught with ease. "You send in a report of his behavior? Did he do anything to you that I need to look at?"</p><p>Charlotte hesitated, thumb circling the rim. Gaze downcast, no longer keeping level with him. She chewed her lip, the sting a familiar pain. The cold prickled, causing echoes of gooseflesh. <em>Silence was to be taken as an answer in most situations, but not this time.</em></p><p>"Char, did or did he not put his hands on you?" came the dreaded question. </p><p>"A, it's really none of your business - "</p><p>The beer bottle came hurtling down on the table edge, striking with a thunderous crack. Liquid sloshed, Akhos' fingers tightened on the neck. His response was a growling bark. "It <em>IS</em> my fucking business! One day he's going to go too far and you'll end up facedown in a ditch!"</p><p>Charlotte took to her feet, own bottle left unopened. <em>Who was he to attempt a shot at any of her past choices? He had his own skeletons shoved in the closet.</em></p><p>Teeth were bared, masking a grimace. "I'm not some fragile flower, Akhos! I'm a stone-cold bitch with an attitude to match. I've bested others of our group on and off the mat! I am - I was - your partner! Your equal! You think I'll break from just a few punches?"</p><p>"You're not usually this explosive with comebacks. You packed too light. You're avoiding using core muscles to bend and sit." He continued, motioning to the slouched, dirtied backpack. "Which means, you're injured. And I need to know where, and how severe before you fuck things up beyond repair." </p><p>
  <em>Damn him and his keen observances. Damn that ingrained intuition.</em>
</p><p>"Show me. If you don't, I'll make you." He said, leaving the table with one chair ajar to hover closer. Not leaping to assist as his stubborn white-knightedness tended to make him do.</p><p>The bed was shoved against one wall, figuratively backing Charlotte into a corner. His expression was currently unreadable, leaving her wondering just what machinations lay beyond those cold, calculatory blues. They'd changed from exhausted to attentive so quick it honestly spooked her a bit.</p><p>Fingers curling beneath her shirt, she caved, lifting it high to pull over her head. The discoloration drew Akhos' gaze then, boot-shaped and peppering the smooth flesh of her stomach.</p><p>Bruises weren't the only injuries. Stark red stripes had turned her into a human zebra, some oozing blood, cuts shallow. Her jugular was ringed with blotchy pink patches, which he came to realize were handprints.</p><p>"I'm going to fucking kill him." Charlotte heard him utter under his breath.</p><p>"Akhos, no. You can't. You can't and you won't - " She begins to protest, watching as he closes the gap in a couple steps. Hand lifting, his fingertips trace the dark outlines stretching across her ribs. Delicate, featherlight in evaluation, brows furrowed. She sucks in a breath between clenched teeth.</p><p>"Thinking he could do this without consequence was his first mistake. Taking his frustration out on you will be his last. One he'll regret." Akhos murmurs, thumbing over the stripes. Some are inflamed, and cause her to hiss at irritation. <em>Any other time she'd push him away.</em> The handprints are of least concern - not dark enough to bruise, light enough that they'll fade within an hour. </p><p>"You've got two, possibly three cracks. And these cuts - the type a switchblade leaves behind. He wanted you to heal, to scar. Carry reminders written in flesh." He adds, with a growl. "First aid kit's in the bathroom - "</p><p>"Narrow hall hugging the kitchen. Ten paces inside and take a left." Charlotte responds, with a pained grin. "I know, A."</p><p>"Then rest, use pain relievers. No compression gauze, it worsens things. If you do get hungry, there's microwavables." He mentions, offhandedly waving towards the squat freezer. "Trying to keep a low profile, yeah."</p><p>"Sounds appetizing. Can't wait." She gives a hum of acknowledgement, interrupted by a wince. "What, not going to help a lady in need?" </p><p>"Distressed damsel? More afraid of you knocking me on my ass. Besides, we both know I'll leave once you turn the corner - whether or not you agree with my methods." He replies, downing what's left of his beer.</p><p>"No gun. No knives. And no garrote, either." She bites back venomously, having hobbled to the hall door frame. Blossoming pain spread outward, adrenaline worn off. </p><p><em>Ten paces. This'll be easy. One foot in front of the other, right?</em> The drab beige wallpaper seemed to stretch continuously, bright white spots dancing in her peripheral. Taunting her. Shapes become faces, laughing harshly. Nausea twists her stomach in knots, recoiling from thoughts of food. </p><p>As she lets a shaky sigh free, she faintly hears footsteps and then the door re-lock. </p><p>
  <em>Well, damn. He did go.</em>
</p><p>Feeling along the wall, she grasps the knob to the bath, warm air buffeting her face. It opens, slowly, and noisily. Not even a step over the threshold, her legs buckle.</p><p>Charlotte goes down heavy, knees scraping loose carpet through her jeans. It burns, and she gasps. The impact jarrs her, causing white-hot lances to shoot up her sides. </p><p>
  <em>Crap. Where's the kit?  Had he moved it from last time?</em>
</p>
<hr/><p><em>Men don't stalk their partners and call it love, Charlotte</em>, he thinks. <em>I could give you so much more-</em> </p><p>Akhos' phone vibrates from within his pocket. He fishes it out, swiping a thumb across the screen. No password - not needed with his expertise. A bubble appears. Tapping it brings him to a private messaging app, the blue-light background casting a glow over his fingers. </p><p><strong>R</strong>: <em>Word has it that The Dove's returned to the mediterranean. Can you confirm? </em></p><p><strong>G</strong>: <em>Welcomed with open arms as usual. Though, they're entangled in the Shadow's web. This time it was rib cracks, bordering breakage. Afeared if this continues, they're going to end up six feet under.</em></p><p><strong>R</strong>: <em>I take it you're going to dispense that "justice" you're so well-known for?</em> </p><p><strong>G</strong>: <em>Tis true, but she forbid me using other means. So, bare knuckles it is. The Horseman will come a-knocking.</em></p><p><strong>R</strong>: <em>Do what you will, but be warned - he has connections. Those beatdowns of yours come with repercussions. </em></p><p><strong>G</strong>: <em>I'm well aware.</em></p><p>Another bubble, another rapid-fire vibration as he descends the stairwell into the building's musty basement. He shrugs on a coat, and cap, pulling a mask up to hide his face.</p><p><strong>M</strong>: <em>Hark, listen - the heralds - how they sing! The Dove has returned! The Wolf protects, given a purpose again. Have you by chance told The Snake yet?</em></p><p><strong>G</strong>: <em>No. Why should I?</em> </p><p><strong>M</strong>: <em>You know their relationship. She's happier when around that tattooed darling. Oft bringing a ray of light into our darkness.</em> </p><p><strong>G</strong>: <em>Got coordinates? He did vanish two years in. Something about a journey to find himself - mentioned the wild plateaus of the east.</em></p><p><strong>M</strong>: <em>We both know he went to pilfer temples and ruins. All those precious jewels and rare metals are a siren's call. Selling to bidding buyers nets him even bigger opportunities.</em></p><p><strong>G</strong>: <em>Consider it noted.</em></p><p>Closing the conversation, he swings a leg over a bike seat. Expensive make and model, sleek, yet fast - a gift from his sisters-in-arms. Leather-gloved hands grip the bars, revving the engine. He opens the folding doors via keypad, racing out into narrow stone streets.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>comments and kudos are appreciated! 💕</p></blockquote></div></div>
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